Savannah Air Guardsmen played key role during Democratic Convention

Georgia Air National Guard Capt. Ryan Peterson, of the 117th Air Control Squadron, monitors air traffic at Charlotte's Terminal Radar Approach Control. FAA Controllers at the facility worked with Georgia air guardsmen and United States Secret Service to enforce restricted airspace over the area for the Democratic National Convention. (Georgia Air National Guard photo)

Master Sgt. Ray Horton, left, shows Senior Airman David McGrath and Staff Sgt. Percy Price how to install an antenna for a PSC-5 UGH SATCOM. The system was used to communicate with NORAD units to ensure air security over the Democratic National Convention. (Georgia Air National Guard photo)

No stranger to protecting American skies during big events, a Savannah-based Air National Guard unit was called upon to ensure the no-fly zone set up over the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, N.C., early this month.

A group of 19 airmen with the Hunter Army Airfield-based 117th Air Control Squadron worked night and day during the DNC to secure the airspace over the event for the U.S. Secret Service.

The unit manned a LINK-16 relay station that exchanged information among fighter jets in the air and the Eastern Air Defense Sector of the North American Aerospace Defense Command on the ground. That information was used to manage the fighters’ actions and locate any aircraft violating the restricted area.

It was a highly successful mission, said Maj. Ryan Hampton, the unit’s communications officer for the assignment.

Master Sgt. Austin Blessard added that only “a few crop dusters and others … wandered into the restricted airspace.” Those aircraft were met with warning radio calls and left the zone.

The 117th ACS served in a similar mission in the days after Sept. 11, 2001 when they were sent to Macon to ensure a no-fly zone set up over Atlanta. In 2004, the unit performed a similar operation over Sea Island for the G-8 Summit. It has also provided air security for six NASA space shuttle launches.

The unit will now shift its focus to a potential future overseas deployment. It served a tour in Iraq in 2005 and another to southwest Asia in 2010 to support operations in Afghanistan.